GERONIMO!

I was in my truck, driving home from work last week.  This drive was normally a drive that was fraught with frustration.  In order to overcome that, I had a rule that I would use every day.  When I passed Sinclair Lane I would stop thinking about work.  That was the point where I would have to force myself, usually, to abandon thinking about my job until the next morning; or until someone called me from work. 

That day though, I noticed that Sinclair Lane was still a few miles away and my mind was completely free of frustration.  In fact, my mind was completely free from anything but one thought.  How was I going to tell Trixie that I had just been laid off?  She would ask why.  That would be her first question. Should I tell her that it was, in part, my suggestion to the owner of the company?  That was probably not a good idea.  The real reasoning behind the move was that in this economy, business has just dropped off to the point that they could not afford me any longer.  That was the truth.  The truth usually works for me these days.  When I don’t tell the truth I usually end up in trouble. I would tell Trixie the truth.

The truth hurts sometimes.  That is when people like me have a hard time telling the truth.  It is hard to tell the truth when you know it might hurt someone you care about. Trixie’s next question would be, “What are we going to do now?”  I already knew the answer to that question.  I was sure it would be hard to sell to Trixie though.  She is a realist.  I am an idealist.  Opposites attract I am told.  We are very attracted to each other, Trixie and I. So, as I was driving home, to tell Trixie the truth, my mind played out the whole conversation in my head. 

“What are we going to do now?” Trixie would say to me.

“I have a plan.” I would reply.

“You have a plan?”

“Yep.”

“Tell me about your plan to pay the mortgage, both car payments, Sugar’s tuition which is due next week by the way, gas and electric, the credit card bills, and feed everyone.  Tell me about this plan.”

“That is all.”

“What?” Trixie asked looking at me as if I was completely insane.

“That is all.  That is the plan.  That is all.” I said.

“That is all. is a blog Tony.  That is all. is a page on Facebook.  That is all. is not a plan.  That is all!”

I would go on to explain to her the plans that I have for That is all.  To use the blog as a springboard to do a lot of things.  Things that will help people who are struggling right now.  So many people have lost their jobs in the economy.  So many people are struggling.  People need good news.  That is all would only convey good news.  And help businesses do the same thing.  And that in doing that, they could help their businesses grow.  Then I would see her eyes looking up at the ceiling and I would stop talking.  I would dust off and update my resume and apply for a job that I was capable of doing.  I would get the job and do an amazing job and I would be miserable.  I knew the drill.  I had done it many times.

I pulled into the driveway, grabbed my briefcase and walked to the mailbox.  A coupon for a pizza, the gas and electric bill, two credit card bills and the tuition bill.  And to add insult to injury a brochure for a college addressed to our daughter, Sugar. The freedom from frustration that I had felt just a few minutes earlier was fading fast. I had dealt with situations like this before.  Usually I dealt with them myself and I dealt with them badly.  I did something different this time though as I was trudging down the sidewalk to the front door.  I said a prayer.  It was a prayer of my own that day, but it was also the same prayer that has been said by millions of people for thousands of years. I said, “God, I need your help right about now.”

Trixie was already home from work and in the kitchen making spaghetti when I walked in the door.

“How was your day?” She asked me. 

“It was a good day right up until the point that I got laid off.” I answered.  She looked up at me and said,

“What are we going to do now?” 

Here we go, I thought.  When you have been married for as long as we have, you know each other so well sometimes you don’t have to use words to speak. This conversation was going to go exactly the way it did in my head on the way home.

“I have a plan.” I said.

“You have a plan?”

“Yep.” I said.

“Tell me about this plan.”  She said.  And then the most amazing thing happened. I told her about the plan and she listened.  She even started nodding her head a little.  She was listening so closely that she did not notice that the water for the pasta was boiling over. I finished telling her about the plan as she turned the burner on the stove down a bit.

“What do you think?” I asked her.

I knew what she was going to say, so I was stunned when she said, “Well, I don’t know if it will work or not, but I think we should give it a try for at least a month or so.  Let’s see if it seems to be working.  If it does we can stick with it, if it doesn’t we will have to do something else.”

“OK” I said.  That was all I could muster. I was speechless.  That seldom happens with me.

“Now, put the garlic bread in the oven would you please?” I put the garlic bread in the oven, and then walked into the living room to sit down.  I could not believe what just happened. 

“Thanks God.”  I said to myself. 

Trixie came in with a spoonful of marinara for me to test and said, “We will make it work.  We always do. In the past, in situations like this, whether it was our fault or your fault or nobody’s fault we have always chosen circumstance over opportunity.  Let’s give opportunity a shot for a change.  Now get your feet off the table.”

The next day we started our business.  It is called That is all.  By the end of the day we had three clients.  By the end of the week, we had seven new clients and the opportunity to be involved in a very large project.  They say if you love your job you will never work a day in your live.  I hope so, because I love this job. I love my wife too. That is all.

AFTERWORD

That is all. is a blog. That is all. now has a new dimension. 

That is all. Social Media Marketing and Development  has been created for any person or business that would like to increase their Social Media presence.  

That is all. uses a single or a multiple platformed strategic and customized approach that increases awareness and optimizes reach. More awareness and greater reach allows each client to maximize their marketing dollar.  

That is all. handles all off the subscriptions, design, and updates providing zero manpower impact to our clients.

If you need our help let us know at anthonyyoungjr@comcast.net  
If not, that is good too. We help people who help people to help people. That is all.